Wichita eagle., 1887-03-04
LEOTI VS. CORONADO,
The Two Factions Still at Blood
Heat-SeriouS Trouble Expected
at the Election Soon to
Occur,

special to the News says: The situa ton
IN the Coronado Le0ti trouble remains IN
changed. Both towns are surrounded by
a strong body of well armed men who per
nit no one to enter The men in both towns
set up with their guns, and after gaining
admission stranger finds q Winchester
rifle at every turn. They stand ia door
ways and merchants carry their guns while
they wait on customers Men patrol the
streets OF the town all day and night
The country surrounding is as excited as
the towns and about equally divided. Cor
Onado sympa;hizcrs are for the most part
in town with their ammunition and the
Coronado men said today that within an
hour 500 men could be recruited in the
town, ready to defend it with their lives.
At Leot the cry is for revenge The cit
liens are as excited as tia Mn 80 A.. r
after the shooting, and they are uIanI;
mousi in their determination to sack
Coronado at the first opportu-
nifty. This Will probably be offered
Thursday night when the county election
occurs. Immediately after the shooting
Sunday, some men from Leoti came TO
Wallace and secured all the guns and am.
munition they could get, and representa-
tives from Coronado paid similar visits TO
Garden City, SO that both towns are well
equipped with ammunition. The Leoti
population, which has been recruited by
their county coports, are looked to for the
first move, and the Coronado men will act
on the defensive Each town has a plan,
bat they are in too chaotic a state for &
forecast of the probable result
Whiskey and beer is freely imbibed, ard
these will be at the bottom Of further
trouble should there be any. County
Sheriff John Edwards, who is at Lcoti, has
not made an attempt to arrest the murder
ers, as he knows that such an effort would
cost him his life He has twelve war
rants, but unless the state authorities tend
him the assistance of a couple OF compan-
les Oh Hlliillt tbtJ NIli HtEci ne scTNcu, anu
even in that case the Coronado men say
that the shooters will never be taken alive.
Charlie Coulter and Bill Rannes. the ring
leaders of the Leoti crowd went over to
Coranado on Sunday morning and drank
considerable beer and whisky. Coulter.
who was desperate of the worst type
promised to return the beer consumed. He
aud Rannes returned 10 l4e0ii GOT the beer
ard five companions, only three Of whom
were armed, aud returned in u wagon
and buggy. They visited a druggi-,.
who was sick in bed, and msde him
yet up. Coulter ordered him TO dance and
fired his gun at his feet to make him obey.
The druggist offered to treat If Coulter
would lower his gun aud the OlfcT was &C
cepted The men then went into the street
and according 10 the story began shooting
Coulter did most Of the
firing. \ Coronado nam named Jackson
got in ConlDer's way and Was struck
over the h, ad with the bu t Of Cuulfer'>
gun LOOMS brother islerfered and asked
the Leoti men u Stop their abuse IN re
ply they turned on LOOMS and struck al
him performing the old plainSman act by
hitting both Loomis over the head and
shooting John LOOMS in the
leg "a. the Sa"re time. John
Loomi, was stan Ing back of both and a.
Coulter fired he ,lnang forward and
clInched with him. The Leoti crowd, &C
coriing TO the story Of the Coronado men.
then began firing AT two citizens who Were
running up the street. 4 dozen Coronado
men who had gathered in Il store then
opened fire and Coulter seemed to be a;
large for u minute. The firing
continued for minute and when the
smoke cleared away R4pneS, Coulter ana
Watkins. who were on the pavement>. had
fallen dead. The other men were ia the
wagon and James Dunning and Johnson
were seriously injured. 4 n Bourry. the
seventh man of the Leoti gang, escaped
without injury